Today in Labor History Aug 5 Reagan fired 13,000 federal air traffic controllers PATCO & FMLA effect

[Omaha Steve]

August 5

Using clubs, police rout 1,500 jobless men who had stormed the plant of the Fruit Growers Express Co. in Indiana Harbor, Indiana, demanding jobs - 1931

And this: August 5, 1931 - Some 1,500 jobless men stormed the plant of the Fruit Growers Express Co. in Indiana Harbor, Indiana, demanding they be given jobs to keep from starving. The company's answer was to call the city police, who routed the jobless with clubs.

August 5, 1981 - President Ronald Reagan fired 13,000 federal air traffic controllers for participating in an illegal work stoppage. The PATCO strike was a watershed for American workers, both because it marked a new, anti-worker mindset on the part of the U.S. government and corporations and because the American labor movement failed to build any mass resistance to this attack.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) took effect today. The first law signed by President Clinton, it allows many workers time off each year due to serious health conditions or to care for a family member - 1993

Labor history found here: http://www.unionist.com/today-in-labor-history & here: http://www.workdayminnesota.org/index.php?history_9_08_5_2010

[NEOhiodemocrat]

1. I remember when Reagan fired the air traffic controllers

Knew then unions were in for a rough time.

[Omaha Steve]

2. I was in the GAU back then (now part of the Teamsters)

The GAU had planned it's convention in Hawaii that Fall. They changed it to Chicago so people could go by train, bus, car, etc.

Raygun having been a president of SAG got a lot of D's that were union members to vote for him. Then he trashed their unions. My old local 520 in the GAU had over a dozen shops. None of them survived into the new century after Raygun aimed at them that day.

OS

[flyarm]

3. all Unions lost that day because we didn't shut the nation down!

I fought with my union leaders saying we should all walk out..My flight attendant Union was willing to walk out, but the Pilots union wouldn't walk out.

We all paid for that mistake..

What a different world we would be living in today if every union in the nation had walked out!

Reagan Won, every American lost! And are still losing!